The girls snatched up paper and pens and wrote numbers down while Elise chatted animatedly with Maggie. He liked that connection too. Maggie had been his first office manager back when she was working her way through school. Then Arvin had come in for a job, and within months the two had been not just a couple, but, like, cemented together. They were solid people. Great parents and wonderful friends to him. He enjoyed seeing Maggie have another mom to be close with, and it gave Elise another person in her life, helping her feel more at home in Seattle.

Elise turned to him. “Thanks for inviting us. We had a great time.”

“Let me walk you two over.”

She started to protest but closed her mouth and smiled instead. “All right.”

Maggie hugged her, as did Erin. His sister didn’t often click with other people, and certainly not as quickly as she had with Elise. But in truth, he had such great friends and family that it was sort of spooky how well their small group got along. Oh sure, they had their tiffs, people being pissed off at each other. That was natural given that several of them were married or siblings to other members of the group. But there was a sense of community and camaraderie between them all, of refuge and home. Standing there with his sister grinning at Rennie, and Cope chatting Elise up, he was at ease. He fit somewhere, with other people who were like him. And now Elise was one of them too, and he had the distinct feeling that her entry into his life would mark it deeply.

He told everyone he’d be back shortly and walked Elise and Rennie back home.

“Thanks, Brody! I had a great day.” Rennie threw her arms around his waist and hugged tight. This kid was hard not to love.

“Anytime.”

Elise unlocked the door and held it open. “Go on upstairs. Bath and pjs.”

Rennie started to argue, but she must have seen the same look Brody had in her mother’s eyes, and groaned. “Okay. Night, Brody.” She ran off into the house and thundered up the stairs.

“Thanks again. I had a great day too.” She took a deep breath and slid her palm over his throat and to the back of his neck. “I don’t know what your plans are tonight. But if you’re free in three hours or so and find yourself standing on my porch, I’d let you in.”

“Are you inviting me into your parlor?” He wanted in her body right then. If it weren’t for that kiddo upstairs, he’d be on her.

“Yes. If by parlor you mean my bedroom so we can have sex.”

He laughed, dipping to kiss her quickly. “I’ll make it a point to be standing right here in three hours.”

“Okay then. I’ll try not to keep you up too late since you have to work tomorrow and all.”

“I’ve gone to work tired many a time; I can’t think of a better reason than being worn out by you.”

She smiled and stepped back, letting go of his neck, but he still felt her touch there.

He headed back home with a smile on his face.

9

Elise liked him. He was sexy and masculine and he made her laugh. He was nice to Rennie, wasn’t overly pushy, although he had alpha male written all over him and she could see he liked managing people. Elise didn’t want to be managed. She’d had enough of that. But they had great sexual chemistry. He always made her come. He seemed to love o**l s*x and he had a great imagination. Not much to complain about really.

So when she opened her door and found him standing on her porch, she took his hand and led him back to her bedroom. They didn’t speak, not breaking the spell of the quiet house. She locked her door and turned to face him.

“Hi,” he said quietly, drawing her against him.

“Hi. You smell good. Like autumn. I love the way it smells here at night. Like wood fires and cold air.” She pressed her nose into his neck and breathed deep.

“You feel good. I like this room. I’d like it more if you took this off.” He pushed the robe from her shoulders and it fell into a pool of fabric at her feet. His hands, big and bold, swept down her back to cup her ass.

Instead of the normal, urgent, rip-off-clothes-and-fuck frenzy they’d had before, their pace was slow and sensual. His lips cruised across the swell of her cheek, to her ear and down her neck. His hands caressed, kneaded, seduced instead of demanded.

She gave to him, let him take, leaned her head to the side, giving him access to the hollow of her throat. A shiver of delight passed through her at the feel of his teeth grazing the hypersensitive skin along her collarbone.

God, he felt so good.

And she wanted more.

Pushing him back a bit, she managed to get his shirt up and over his head, and despite it not being the first time she’d seen the glory of his body, she still stopped to stare a bit. When her gaze reached his face again, he wore a smile, a knowing, male smile, and her own lips quirked up in response.

“You’re hot.” She shrugged. “What else can I do but stare a little?”

He laughed, startled. “Feel free to objectify me whenever you wish.”

“Take your pants off and I’ll do it some more.”

He did, removing his shorts along with the jeans. He really was gorgeous. All barely leashed power just beneath the skin.

He drew in a shaky breath. “I want to take it slow and easy, but then you look at me like that and all I can think of is how good you feel wrapped around my c**k when I’m inside you.”

She’d never imagined anyone ever saying such a thing to her. So raw and beautiful, honest and frankly sexual. It was invigorating to have someone want her like that. Thrilling.